Halo: Resistance
(UNSC, Covenant), Challenge (Ambush, Assault, Defense, Endure, Defend the Core, Stockpile) |rating=ACB: M CERO: C ESRB: T PEGI: 16 |media=Digital distribution (Xbox LIVE Marketplace) |website=Halo Waypoint }} Halo: Resistance is a tower defense-theme real-time strategy video game developed by Certain Affinity, under close scrutiny by 343 Industries. Resistance was later published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360, and the finished product was released on July 14th, 2012. Halo: Resistance was not to be an installment of the mainstream series, of course, but a side-game available for download on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Prior to the games release, 343i had described the gameplay of Halo: Resistance as "a vastly different experience from previous games of the title, envisioned with a not-so unique concept." Indeed, the game was to be of the tower defense genre, which at the time, was only popular when handheld or computer-based. Even so, the developers were confident that such a fast-paced game would be very compatible with the Xbox 360. In order to make the game more enjoyable, Resistance would feature high-resolution 3d graphics and a seemingly open atmosphere which previously, had never been seen in any game of the somewhat restricting genre. Plot Characters and setting The plot of Halo: Resistance is centered around the endeavors of a , Fhes 'Tsanee, and a , , in some of the final battles of the . Gameplay Despite Halo: Resistance being Certain Affinity's first real-time strategy since Age of Booty (2008), and the franchise's first since (2009), the game's developers were just as audacious, covering plenty of new ground for the series. Resistance not only features a Campaign mode focused on the UNSC, but another set of missions where the player may control the Covenant. The Campaign menu is conveniently constructed where a player is capable of switching between the UNSC and Covenant Campaigns as they please, even in-between games or missions. Resistance also features a Challenge mode, where a player may recap any previously-completed maps from Campaign, but with a wider variety of gametypes and modes to choose from. In Challenge mode, a player can compare their skills to that of their friends, and to the rest of the world on the worldwide leaderboards. The leaderboards are categorized on a map-and-gametype basis, and scores are determined by a ratio that encompasses every aspect of playing, such as efficiency in disposing of the enemies, damage taken (to bases and weapon stations, damage to the base does not apply in Endure mode), friendly units and heros sacrificed in battle, unused resources at the player's disposal (Stockpile only), and the timing in which a mission is completed (in Endure mode, a longer survival time is desirable). Weapon stations and other placements In order to deal with enemy units, a player is required to place automated turrets, defense towers, and artillery strategically to succeed in holding-off the enemy. A wide variety of weapon stations are available, with each being stationary. In each mission, four types of stations are available, as well as the quarry and the generator. While the first three stations listed can be placed in any mission, the fourth weapon station varies depending on the story, or the location of the map. Of the four stations granted, a player is able to upgrade each weapon once, transforming it into one of two heavy weapon stations. While a battle is ongoing, a player gathers a small amount of resources from each enemy killed. These resources go towards repairing, upgrading or constructing new stations. Aside from this, one quarry and up-to three generators may be established to generate resources and power respectively. In most scenarios, a player will start with one generator located beside their base by default. The power induced by generators is necessary to keep all stations active and functional. The more powerful the weapon station, the more power is necessary to keep them all functional. If a player wants to remove a base, they can at any time. By selecting "repurpose", one can remove a base and salvage half of the resources initially offered in the station's creation. Reinforcements While weapons stations are a player's primary weapons, true to the game's tower defense genre, sometimes additional firepower is needed, or a last resort must be put into action. In a variety of scenarios, it may be convenient or even necessary for a player to dedicate some of their resources to a different class of defense, and the reinforcements offer just that, without affecting a player's power supply. Depending on the map, in Campaign mode, a player is granted a myriad of options. For roughly the same cost as a heavy weapons station, a player on the UNSC side can request Marine or Army (depending on the scenario); these include , and at an even greater cost, drops by teams of four. ODST drops are perhaps the most valuable assets available, offering players two methods of offense. Randomized drops come at a cost only a little more expensive than that of most ground forces, with the ODSTs costing more due to their enhanced durability and the possibility that their pod will collide with, and ravage, an enemy unit. If the player is willing to pay more, however, they can request a guided ODST drop, where they can actually place each drop point on the map, with a small margin of error. At an astounding resource level of ten-thousand, however, a UNSC player can request their "hero character", a single , armed with dual- . The SPARTAN has enough endurance to hold-off plenty of units with ease. In boss-battle levels, a SPARTAN often appears by default. The only Covenant infantry that pose a serious threat to the SPARTAN are and . While exceptional in offensive and defensive power, the SPARTAN's defensive power is greater than that of his offensive strength. While friendly units and the hero characters are programed operate freely, they can be selected individually and ordered to specific locations on the map, or to safety, inside of the nearest heavy weapon stations or the player's main base. Some AI may attempt to do this by default after being heavily injured, in which case they will rarely make it. By selecting friendly units and garrisoning them to a base, this gives them a fair chance to recover in the midst of battle, do they reach the base before being killed. Garrisoning units or a hero character is particularly useful in situations where a when a last resort tactic is about to be put into action, devastating the entire battlefield. The Covenant, like the UNSC, are capable of calling in a variety of ground-based units, such as random , , and , , and rivaling the ODSTs, Hunter Brothers, Suicide Grunts, , and can be spawned to make quick work of numerous units at a high expense. For the same price as a SPARTAN, a player on the Covenant side can purchase a single "Arbiter", armed with an and a . While still exceptional in terms of offense and defense, the Arbiter has a greater offense than defense, and he will last for a while as long as the Arbiter regularly strikes first. While military reinforcements are the safest way of going about things, there are also more powerful yet risky alternatives. At little greater cost than a guided ODST drop, a UNSC player is capable of requesting a to fly overhead and perform a small or Napalm airstrike. UNSC airstrikes are particularly devastating, but are quite capable of harming friendly weapon stations within the vicinity of their blast. A player on the Covenant side is capable of calling in a to drop either the or the , with both capable of affecting troops of either faction, aside from those operating from a weapons station. Even more devastating is the single, "last resort" move that can be performed only once per level and then only in certain levels. The move costs 16,000 resources, considerably more than any turret or even the "hero" character. If requested, the player is required to hold out for seven seconds, before every exposed unit (friend or foe), as well as each of the player's stations located across the map are demolished. The only location to survive the last resort is the player's base and any units garrisoned inside of the main base. After this devastating event, the main base(s), despite their previous state, will always appear in a heavily damaged state where one enemy making their way in is enough for the mission to be deemed a failure. At this point, the player must rebuild and resupply quickly (assuming that they haven't already completed the mission using the last resort) in order to achieve victory. The UNSC's version of this move is , where a succession three MAC blasts pulverize the battlefield. The Covenant's last resort is , where a massive beam is emitted from a Covenant . Both moves take just as long to be completed. Military units In the majority of Resistance's gametypes, there is a limit to the number of enemy units that will come towards a base. One interesting feature is the manner in which all troops appear and behave, looking as though they are simply scaled down versions of the NCPs of (which in fact, they are). The engine also allows for the AI to have more freedom, with opponents only roughly traveling along their set path. The AI are capable of slowing, halting, skipping each other in line, dashing, and even firing their weapons, while friendly units are capable of covering ground as they please. The type and number of units that will appear vary depending on the map, and the order that enemy teams will appear in is often randomized. In gametypes where an indefinite number of troops will appear, patterns will often be repeated until the game is through. Maintaining forces Furthermore, enemy units are capable of providing opposition while heading towards their destination. The cost to repair a weapon station is relatively cheap, and preferable to allowing one to be destroyed. No resources can be obtained from a base destroyed by the enemy. The toggle option to speed-up incoming enemies is always present. While in some games, this may allow for a player to complete their mission in less time, the increased speed may also make competing with the opponent more challenging. Gametypes Halo: Resistance harbors numerous game modes, or gametypes, that appear throughout the Campaign and can be chosen when in Challenge mode. Many of Resistance's gametypes are loosely based on those appearing in the first-person shooters, but better suited for tower defense. In the game, each gametype is listed in alphabetical order. Ambush Ambush is best described as a reversed-version of tower defense, or the game's Defense gametype. While in a normal game of tower defense, the player is tasked with defending their base, Ambush requires the player to establish a presence around enemy territory and to prevent the opposing troops from escaping with their lives. Because of this, what is normally a UNSC base may become a Covenant base, and vice versa. Ambush is significantly more fast-paced, and is best played on maps where multiple routes link to a central base. In games where a fork in the road separates two or more bases, enemy units will often be forced to horde together and double-up, increasing the difficulty. While in campaign mode, the time necessary to win may vary, but in Challenge mode, the player must keep this up for four minutes in order to succeed. Assault In Assault, the enemy's goal is to carry multiple bombs towards the player's base, or one of multiple bases. The bomb carrier is always located at the front of each unit, and once eliminated, their nearest companion is tasked with continuing the assault. This arrangement continues until an entire unit is eliminated, and once this happens, their bomb will disappear and the next armed unit will become the player's priority. A bomb carrier is incapable of firing their weapon, and because of this, their teamwork plays a major role in their effort. In assault, enemies that are not equipped with a bomb are still capable of doing damage to the main base(s), and for best results, their numbers should be monitored at all times. On intermediate levels that are being played on this gametype, a good efficiency-to-speed ratio may be necessary to achieve success. While in campaign mode, the time necessary to win may vary, but in Challenge mode, the player must keep this up for four minutes in order to succeed. Defense Defense is the standard tower defense-style gametype, which requires the player to establish weapons stations in order to better defend against incoming enemy forces. Each enemy to succeed in reaching the player's stronghold(s) does damage, and the damage dealt varies depending on the enemy. If one base is destroyed, the mission is deemed a failure. While in campaign mode, the time necessary to win may vary, but in Challenge mode, the player must keep this up for four minutes in order to succeed. Endure Endure may be considered Resistance's alternative to a standard mode. It is similar to Defense mode in nearly every manner except for there being no limit to the number of enemy units that will attempt to invade the stronghold; instead, it is the player's responsibility to hold-off the enemies for as long as possible. As the game continues, the enemies will continue to get stronger until gameplay is nearly impossible, where it is up to the player to constantly work towards eliminating them before they reach the base. Defend the Core In Defend the Core, the opponents objective is not to destroy the player's base, but to invade the base and then make their way out of the map with the base's core, or "flag". The core is vital to the player, and the enemy succeeding will result in the player failing the mission. Once the first opponent reaches the core and takes it from the base, the level can only get more challenging for the player. The core never respawns, but the enemies progression with the core can only continue as the level progresses. While in campaign mode, the time necessary to win may vary, but in Challenge mode, the player must keep this up for four minutes in order to succeed. Stockpile While playing in the Stockpile gametype, a player's priority is to collect and gather resources while trying to prevent a constant flow of enemies from reaching the base(s). While in Campaign mode, a specified amount of resources must be gathered to win, the mechanics work differently in Challenge mode. Once four minutes time has expired, the player's supply of free, unused resources is counted towards as the primary factor in the player's overall score. Halo: Resistance Original Soundtrack Halo: Resistance was released with an entire new variety of musical pieces, some upbeat and some dramatic. A variety of musical pieces could be heard in game, setting an appropriate tone for each mission. Unlike most previous Halo titles, all in-game tracks were composed by , who had previously worked on . In an early interview, Rippy quoted: "Resistance needed compelling, innovative music. I was contacted to do the pieces, and that made me glad, because I really feel that I have improved since the last time." Indeed, the soundtrack was widely considered a success amongst the Halo gaming community. In all, the Halo: Resistance Original Soundtrack featured eighteen pieces; sixteen of which appeared in-game. The first album-exclusive tracks being "Mythic", a seven minute-long melody featuring the combined accents of older, more classic Halo pieces, paying homage to and ; the other, "Potent Vigor", also appears in its entirety throughout the extended gameplay trailer that had first appeared on Halo Waypoint, and brief excerpts are heard in the final cutscenes of the game. This is the only track in the set that was, in fact, not composed by Stephen, but was originally intended to appear in . Twelve of the in-game tracks were completely original, while the other four were remixes of classic Halo themes; the two most admired of the set being a slightly-altered version of from Halo: Wars and the other being an upbeat, dramatic take on the classic , lacking the vocals. Release and reception Upon its release, Halo: Resistance proved to be long-awaited game, receiving nearly one million downloads within the first twenty-four hours of its release. By the end of its first week, the game grossed 77.7 million (USD) in Microsoft Points. The majority of the Halo fan community reflected upon the new release positively, with many suggesting that they didn't mind how Resistance decided to convey its plot. Among the more celebrated features of Resistance was the game's original soundtrack, which featured compelling new music and enhanced remixes that had definitely made the game stand-out amongst the others of its kind.